Family awarded $109 million judgment in mother's electrocution death

The family of a Westmoreland County woman has been awarded a $109 million judgment -- the largest ever in Allegheny County -- in a wrongful death lawsuit against West Penn Power.

Jurors heard nearly three weeks of testimony about the 2009 death of Carrie Goretzka before delivering the verdict on Thursday in favor of Michael Goretzka and his two young daughters.

Jurors lined up to hug Michael Goretzka while leaving the courtroom, some of them emotional and overcome by tears.

"It's been a very emotional experience through this whole trial. We just wanted to do right by the family and somehow ease their pain and suffering a little bit," said one juror.

The judgment includes $61 million in punitive damages against West Penn Power. Judge Michael Della Vecchia said the $109 million judgment is the largest personal injury verdict ever awarded in Allegheny County.

Carrie Goretzka, 39, of Irwin, died in her own back yard in June 2009 when she was electrocuted and burned by a spliced power line in front of her mother-in-law and young daughters.

Shanin Specter, who represents the Goretzka family, argued that West Penn employees failed to properly install the power line.

During closing arguments on Wednesday, jurors heard from a West Penn Power attorney who denied workers improperly spliced the line.

That attorney argued that millions of power lines have been spliced and argued if West Penn's employees were doing it improperly, as the Goretzkas contend, there would be many more similar cases.

Copyright 2012 byWTAE.comThe Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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